Playing by Heart
by Lilac Stardust
Summary: AU no aliens...eventually M/L. This is in response to a challenge...revealing terms would spoil the fun.
1. thoughts

**Category:  M/L**

**Summary: This fic is in response to a challenge by Clueless. I don't want to write down the terms at this time because it would give away too much of the story.  SO for now the summary is—AU no aliens.**

**Disclaimer:  Jason Katims owns everything Roswell…come on now if I owned it would I be writing fanfic???  I'm just borrowing this stuff and I'll put it back when I'm done I promise.  The original idea for the story belongs to Clueless…this is my take on it.  I guess the character of Julie belongs to me…**

**Feedback: always appreciated, and it does help to relieve writer's block!**

**A/N: think of this first chapter as an inner dialogue okay?  The rest will be normal…I just didn't want anyone to get confused.**

Playing by Heart 

As I lie here, staring at my ceiling, the thought hits me…today is the fourteenth…

I can hardly believe it's actually been four years.  Sometimes it seems like a lifetime ago.  In some ways, I guess it was a whole other lifetime.  In that life, I was a shy and quiet teenager whose biggest worries revolved around my next math test.  All that changed four years ago, when I suddenly and unexpectedly became a father.  If I were to be honest though, the whole chain of events was set into motion long before that.

To say I had a normal high school experience would be a lie, a major one at that.  It all started off innocent enough really; I joined the wrestling team freshman year, received decent grades in all of my classes, and spent most of my free time hanging out with my best friend Michael and later on, his on-again/off-again girlfriend Maria.  

For some reason, Michael and I have always understood each other and been the best of friends, even though we are so different.  He's always irritable and a little unstable, while I have always been calm and quiet.  Sophomore year though, we finally had something in common, though not by choice.  You see…Michael has always been an orphan.  He never knew his parents and was bounced through foster care and quite a few abusive homes, until he finally filed for emancipation when he was seventeen.  I, on the other hand, lost my parents suddenly and unexpectedly that second year of high school.  They had been on their way home from a business trip when their plane ran into a storm and crashed.  Michael and I became each other's family that year, spending most of our free time together instead of with our respective foster families.  We would have these contests sometimes, to see who had the better 'foster family horror stories.'  Unfortunately for him, he usually won.  I can't say that any of my 'families' ever hurt me, as a few of Michael's did, but I never felt like they were really my family.  

Eventually graduation came, along with my eighteenth birthday and my freedom from the foster care system.  I had never been into the party scene in high school, but Michael convinced me that I just had to go to the biggest party of the summer "to celebrate my newfound freedom."  In reality, he only wanted me to go because for some reason, Maria wanted to go and was dragging him along with her.  Needless to say, with my low tolerance for alcohol, it didn't take much 'celebrating' before I was no longer sober and a little out of control.  Michael and Maria were too busy arguing outside to notice my condition and I was too drunk to care what was happening.  

I don't know how exactly, but I suddenly found myself in an upstairs bedroom with Julie Wilson, a girl I vaguely knew from class.  Julie was considered one of the "nice girls" in school.  She was never in any trouble and had a reputation for being quiet and distant.  She was almost the last person I had expected to be at that party, at least as drunk as I was, and in and upstairs bedroom making out with a guy she barely knew.  Nevertheless, there we were…two strangers losing their virginity to each other at a drunken graduation party…the ultimate high school stereotype.  I'm not sure how, but we both managed to find our way home that night, her with assistance from her friends, and me with a very confused and surprised Michael and Maria.  

I received a call from her several months later.  At the time, I was sharing an apartment with Michael and working for a local construction company to save enough money to eventually go to college.  I had at one time hoped to become a doctor.  I was blown away when she told me she was pregnant.  I know I shouldn't have been surprised…we had both been way too drunk to think about using protection.  But I was.  I realized then that I would likely never get to go to college, or do any of the other things that normal people my age were doing.  It was a bit of a shock, but I had never been one to ignore my responsibilities and I didn't want my child to grow up without his father…I knew how hard that could be after-all.  I assured her that I wanted to be a part of my child's life and suggested that we live together, as roommates and fellow parents, to make it easier on both of us.  

In the months that followed, we prepared as best we could for the baby, and surprisingly became close friends.  We found that we had a lot in common and our personalities complemented each other.  It was never anything other than friendship though.  We both acknowledged that we didn't really feel that way about each other, without the help of a lot of alcohol, and never took it any further than that.  

I think that's why I still miss her so much.  Besides Michael, she was one of my best friends and a constant source of comfort and stability in my life.

"Complications during delivery" was the only explanation the doctors would give me when they came to me in the waiting room.  The blaring noise of all those beeping machines with their alarms sounding, as the nurses pushed me out of the delivery room, stays with me to this day, mostly in my nightmares.  Thankfully, they are much less frequent than they used to be.  They are still present though …most likely because I have always felt partly responsible for her death in a way.  Perhaps if I hadn't gotten her pregnant, she might still be alive…

What she left me though, is the only thing that keeps me going these days…my son, Ryan Wilson Evans.


	2. cheerios and wakeup calls

Chapter 2 

"Daddy?" a small voice said, interrupting Max's reverie.  He pulled his gaze from the ceiling tiles above the bed and instead focused on the small form of his son standing in the bedroom doorway.

"Ryan, it's early still…why are you awake already?"

The little boy smiled as he walked over to the bed.  "Cause I'm four now," he said, holding up four fingers to demonstrate his point.  "And we're gonna go to a real soccer game today…you promised." 

"Really?  Are you sure?  I don't remember saying anything like that…" Max said, scratching his head and pretending to think about it.

"Daddy!" Ryan whined, clearly upset that he might not get to go to the game.

"Just kidding!" Max yelled.  Suddenly, he grabbed the little boy around the waist and dragged him onto the bed where he began to tickle him mercilessly.

"Stop!  Daddy!  Please!" Ryan gasped between giggles.

"Okay…but only if you promise to go watch some cartoons for awhile so that I can shower and get dressed in peace."

"Promise," the little boy said as he rolled off the bed and scampered off to the living room of the small apartment.

Max stretched his arms above his head and yawned.  "Ahh…peace at last," he said as he pushed back the sheets and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.  He stood up, made his way to the connecting bathroom, and turned the water on.  Looking in the mirror over the sink, he tried to believe that the face he saw was really a twenty-two year old single parent who still worked part-time at a construction company with his best friend since grade school.  Some days it all seemed a little surreal…  The sound of his son's laughter from the living room promptly brought him back to reality.  He quickly removed the boxers he had slept in and stepped into the now steaming hot shower.  He used the time to go through the day's plans in his head.  He wanted everything to be perfect for Ryan.  

It seemed he was always trying to make up for his son not having his mother around.  Michael and Maria helped out as best they could…  Ryan had always referred to the pair as Aunt Maria and Uncle Michael.  To him that's who they were…it didn't matter that they weren't really related.  Together, the three of them coordinated their schedules so that Ryan was always with one of them, when he wasn't at pre-school.  

Max turned the water off and stepped out of the shower.  Grabbing a towel, he dried off and wrapped it around his waist as he returned to his bedroom.  He dressed quickly, not paying much attention to what he chose…after all, mid-May in New Mexico was pretty much guaranteed to be hot no matter what you wore.

Finally ready, he walked down the hall to what he liked to refer to as "the living room."  In actuality, it was only a small room with a second-hand couch, the TV from his first apartment, an old floor lamp, and Ryan's over-sized beanbag.  For two guys living alone though, it was a lot.

In the middle of the room, directly in front of the TV, and sitting in his beanbag chair, was Ryan.  He was watching some cartoon that Max didn't recognize and eating Cheerios directly from the box.

"Couldn't wait for me I see…" Max said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Sorry Dad," Ryan said, through a mouthful of cereal, not even bothering to turn around.

"Uh-huh, sure you are…" he muttered, continuing down the hall to the kitchen.  He started up the coffeemaker and pulled out a bowl from the cabinet.  Opening another cabinet looking for the cereal, he remembered that Ryan still had the Cheerios in the other room.  He would have to settle for Frosted Flakes today, not what he wanted—but it would do.  Just as he reached into the refrigerator for the milk, the phone rang.  Only one person would call this early—Maria.

"Hello Maria.  How are you this morning?"

"Hey Max.  I'm fine.  How'd you know it was me?  Did you guys get caller-id or something?"

"No, you're just the only person I know who would be calling me at ten in the morning on a Saturday."

"Whatever.  Anyway Max, the reason I was calling in the first place, was that I was wondering what time we were all going to meet for dinner tonight?" 

"Huh?"

"Max!  It's Ryan's birthday dinner!  We do this every year…you didn't forget did you?"

"Oh, no not at all.  I just woke up is all…I'm not thinking straight yet.  Is six-thirty okay for you guys?"

"That should be great.  Why don't you two just come over here?  That way, we can all take one car."

"Sure thing Maria.  By the way…where or should I say what, are we eating tonight?"

"Now Max, it's a surprise…and if I tell you, you'll just tell Ryan…and we can't have that can we?"

"Alright.  You win.  Have it your way.  We'll be there by six-thirty.  Say hi to Michael for me when he wakes up."

"Will do Max.  Later!"

"Bye Maria," he said, placing the phone back on the receiver and again reaching into the fridge for the milk.  Pulling a spoon from a drawer as he passed, he finally settled down at the small table and poured the milk on his cereal.  Just as he was about to put the first bite in his mouth, he heard his son's voice from the other room. 

"Dad?"

"Yeah Ryan?" he yelled in return.

"Is it time to go yet?"

"No.  I'm eating my cereal.  Go find something to wear okay?"

"Okay."

Max went back to eating his cereal, knowing that he would most likely have to re-dress the four-year old if he wanted to take him out in public.  He was starting to wonder if his son might be colorblind based on some of the things he picked out to wear.  But as long as it kept the boy busy long enough for Max to eat his cereal, he really didn't care what Ryan came out wearing.

TBC… 


	3. daydream

**~~~Ch 3~~~**

Just as Max finished his cereal, Ryan reappeared wearing a green t-shirt, appropriately featuring Tigger playing soccer, and a pair of black shorts.  Overall, he didn't look half bad considering he had dressed himself.  He was still barefoot of course, not having mastered shoelace tying yet.  Nonetheless, Max was impressed.

"Looking good little man.  Where's your shoes though?" Max said, pointing to his son's bare feet.

"Oops," Ryan said as he quickly turned around and ran back to his room.  He returned a minute later carrying his tennis shoes and a pair of sock.  "Got 'em," he said, holding them up for Max to see.  "Socks too."

"Excellent.  Come over here so we can get them on you okay?"

"Okay," the little boy yelled as he ran the rest of the way to where his dad was sitting.  He plopped himself down on the floor and look up expectantly at Max.  Max got up from his chair and joined his son on the floor.  He quickly helped Ryan with his shoes, then stood up, and delivered his empty cereal bowl to the sink, not bothering to rinse it out.  

Ryan was already anxious to leave and as soon as his shoes were tied, he was out the front door.  

"Hey!  Stay out of the street!" Max yelled as he made his way back to his bedroom in search of his wallet.  Finding it on his nightstand, he stuffed it in the back pocket of his pants.  He patted the side pocket where he usually tossed his cell phone and not feeling it, returned to the living room.  He quickly scanned the room until his eyes came to rest on the TV, where the small black phone sat. Crossing the room to the TV, Max picked up the phone and dropped it into its pocket.

"Dad!  Come 'on!" Ryan called from outside.

"Coming!" he shouted, hurrying out the front door to his old beat up Jeep, where Ryan was already sitting in the backseat.  He jumped into the driver's seat, twisting around to make sure Ryan was buckled up.  "Ready to go?"

"Yep!"

"Alright…off we go…" Max said, turning the key in the ignition and slowly pulling the Jeep out onto the road.

It was a relatively short drive, only about a half an hour, before they arrived at the entrance to the field.  It was a beautiful day and already the stands looked crowded.  As they pulled into the parking lot, he could see that both team were out on the field warming up.

The only soccer game in the area on Ryan's birthday happened to be the local professional women's team.  Not that either of them minded.  In fact, Maria had told them yesterday that several of the women on their home team had been part of the recent Olympic team that had won gold.  Supposedly, they were currently the top-rated team in their league.  Max wasn't nearly as into soccer as Ryan was, but this could actually be interesting.

The pair quickly found seats that Ryan approved of, not too high and with no 'really tall people' in front of them, and settled in as they waited for the game to start.  It wasn't long before an announcer signaled the start of the game and the crowd began clapping and cheering in excitement.  

~~~

Liz Parker stopped her warm-up for a moment to look up into the stands of screaming fans.  The crowds still overwhelmed her sometimes.  Ever since she and her teammates had returned from the Olympics, they had all received so much attention from the public and the media.  It was all a little surreal.  One day she was a quiet private school girl who was a pretty good soccer player and the next she was being called to be on the cover of magazines.  

Might as well take advantage of it while it lasts, her parents had said.  Their plans for her had been simple…she could attend private school, college if she wanted, then she would marry a 'nice boy' from another wealthy family like themselves—living out her days as a trophy wife and mother.  They didn't see 'this soccer thing,' as they liked to call it, lasting long and having any purpose other than perhaps gaining the attention of some nice eligible bachelor.  

Unbeknownst to her parents, Liz had other plans.  She wanted to attend college and have a career…maybe something to do with biology, her favorite subject.  Just maybe, she might meet someone who really understood her, someone she could fall in love with, someone she might actually want to spend the rest of her life with—not as a trophy to show off…but as an equal, a soulmate.  

For now, playing soccer was the only thing keeping her parents from following through with their plans and Liz planned to take advantage of it as long as she could.

"Liz?  Hey are you alright?" a voice said, interrupting her daydream.

"Huh?  Oh…yeah Carrie, I'm fine…just kinda spaced out there for a minute," she said, reassuring her teammate that she was okay.

"They're ready to start…better pull yourself together…and fast.  We're playing the Panthers today.  It's going to be a rough game…and we really need you to be focused Liz.  Come 'on…everyone's waiting for us."

Liz took one more look up into the stands and sighed.  She turned back to her teammate.  "Alright.  Let's do this!" she said and they both ran back to the benches where the rest of their team was waiting for them.

TBC… 


	4. lost

~~~Ch 4~~~

The crowd cheered and Liz and her teammates ran off the field, exhausted after the extremely difficult game.  It had been a hard-earned win and it had left Liz absolutely worn out.  Most of her teammates quickly passed her on their way to the bench.  Liz lagged behind, not looking forward to the 'meet the team event' that had been planned for them.  It wasn't that she didn't want to meet the fans, she did.  They were the reason she was still playing soccer and not married with a couple of kids by now.  It was just that usually after a difficult game, all she wanted to do was crash someplace and fall asleep.  But as they were required to attend all publicity events, she would have to stick it out for now and put on a smile for the fans.

~~~

All the crowds were suddenly making Max a little nervous.  Ryan was pulling him towards the field, having heard that the players were going to stick around to meet fans, sign autographs, and take pictures.  Apparently, though, he and Ryan weren't the only people to want to meet the players.  A mob of people pushed and shoved their way down to the field, almost knocking Max off balance several times.  He unconsciously gripped his small son's hand even tighter, making the little boy yelp and then attempt to pull free.

"Daddy…that hurts.  Let go…" Ryan whined, still trying to pull away.

All of a sudden, a teenaged boy crashed into Max causing him to lose his footing on the steps and let go of Ryan's hand in an effort to stay standing.  It was only for a moment, but a moment was all it took for the small boy to disappear from his sight.  He stopped in his tracks, trying to scan the crowded steps for any sign of his son and yelling "Ryan!  Where are you?"  No one seemed to notice though, as they continued to stream past him.  Max was frantic now.  How could he have lost his four year-old on his birthday?  He began to search for security, hoping they might help him locate Ryan.  A few of them seemed to be congregating by the entrance to the field, most likely trying to control the already unruly crowd.  Max allowed himself to be pushed in the direction of the gate.

Once he finally made his way onto the field, he turned to talk to security and instead noticed a petite brunette sitting off to the side and playing with a small boy.  Realizing the boy was Ryan, Max took off to confront the woman and get his son back.

~~~

Liz had been trying to avoid the crowd by sitting off to the side, hoping that no one would notice her.  However, someone had.  A small boy, who she guessed was only three or four, had come running up to her, by himself, and obviously very excited to have found her.  He introduced himself as Ryan Evans and when asked where his parents were, he said that his dad had gotten lost and would find him in a minute or two.  She had figured that she might as well talk to him, since he had been so excited to meet her, before she took him to security.  Especially since he told her that they had come to this game for his birthday.

They had only been sitting there for a minute or two when she looked up and saw a tall dark-haired man coming towards them…and he didn't look too happy.  

"What the hell do you think you're doing with my son," he yelled as he came to a stop in front of them.

Liz quickly stood up and unconsciously smoothed out her wrinkled uniform.  "I…um.."  She stuttered for a moment, then, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear, she looked up to see one of the most attractive guys she had ever met.  She smiled self-consciously and seemed to finally find her tongue.  "We were just waiting for you."

For his part, Max was sure he must have been dreaming.  The girl that stood in front of him couldn't be real.  She was too beautiful, too perfect…  He was so caught up in his little daydream that he forgot why he had been angry a moment ago.  Suddenly, he realized that she had spoken to him and seemed to be looking for some sort of response on his part.

"I'm sorry did you say something?" he asked distractedly.

She laughed and repeated herself.  "I said that my name's Liz and that Ryan and I were just waiting for you to come get him.  I also asked your name."

"Max.  My name's Max," he said.  He remembered that a moment ago, he had been angry because he thought that this person had kidnapped his son.  Somehow though, he now knew that this was not the case and that she would never do something like that.  "I'm sorry I yelled before.  I didn't mean anything by it.  I was just going a little crazy thinking that I had lost Ryan here.  Thank you for finding him and taking care of him, by the way."

"Don't worry about it.  I can't even imagine what it would be like to think you have lost your child.  I don't think anyone would be very pleasant in the situation.  And I didn't really find him…he found me.  I had planned to take him straight to security, but he really wanted to talk to me and I thought that it wouldn't hurt to just talk for a minute or two…and then, well, that's when you showed up," Liz said, shrugging her shoulders and smiling.

"Yeah, well thanks anyway.  I'm glad he was with you and not some crazy person who would have kidnapped him or something."

"You just met me.  How do you know I'm not one of 'those crazy people?'" she asked playfully.

"I don't know how I know…but I do.  I just know you're not like that."

"You do huh?"

"Yep."

"Daddy…" a small voice interrupted.

"Yeah buddy what is it?" Max said, suddenly remembering his son's presence.

"I have to use the bathroom…" Ryan whispered loudly.

"Oh…geez…I'll take you in one minute okay?" he said, turning back to Liz.  "I gotta go take him to the bathroom.  It was really nice meeting you though Liz….?"

"Parker, Liz Parker.  Pleasure was all mine.  Maybe I'll see you guys at another game soon…?"

"Definitely.  Ryan absolutely loves soccer.  We'll be back."

"Great.  Well have a great birthday Ryan.  Bye Max."

"Bye Liz," Max said, as he finally allowed Ryan to pull him towards the nearest restrooms.

About halfway there, Max looked back and noticed that Liz was still watching their retreat.  Definitely coming to more games…real soon, Max thought to himself as he turned back around with a genuine smile on his face for the first time in a long while.

TBC…


	5. slow motion

~~~Ch 5~~~

Liz stood there, watching them walk away and wondering if she would ever see them again.  She watched as Max turned and looked back, catching her staring after them, then smiled and continued on his way to the bathroom.  She had a feeling that this would not be her last meeting with Max and his son.  

"Miss Elizabeth?" a voice behind her queried.

She spun around and came face to face with Trevor, an elderly British gentleman who had worked for her family as long as Liz could remember.  These days, he was mostly responsible for driving Liz wherever she needed to go.  _Nineteen and they still don't trust me to drive myself anywhere, she thought bitterly.  She had her license of course, but her parents still insisted that she allow Trevor to drive her.  At first Liz had resisted and tried relentlessly to ditch Trevor, but she was never very successful.  The older man always seemed to know when she was about to sneak out of the house and gently reprimanded her, persistently asking that she follow her parents wishes.  Eventually she had given in and realized that if she had to be driven around, Trevor was better company than many of the newer workers employed at the Parker household.  They were mostly young and a few of them stared at her strangely, making her rather uncomfortable.  Trevor was more like a kindly grandfather, watching over her and allowing her to vent her frustrations about her parents without betraying her confidences.  _

"Trevor!  What are you doing here already?" Liz asked.

"It's four-thirty Miss Elizabeth.  You told me that you would be finished at four-thirty, did you not?"

"Four-thirty?  Is it that late already?"

"Indeed.  Shall we depart then?"

"Uh…yeah in a minute…just let me grab my things.  I'll meet you in the parking lot."

"I'll be waiting…" he said as he turned and made his way to the parking lot.

Liz quickly jogged back to the locker room, changed out of her uniform and threw on an old worn out tee-shirt, that her mother particularly hated, and a pair of faded shorts.  She reached up and pulled her hair out of the ponytail she wore for the game and let her hair fall loose to her shoulders.  To her mother's utter horror, she strived to look as normal as possible and fit in with the other girls on the team…which meant dressing comfortably and not as if she were attending a country club social.  Giving herself a once over in the small mirror in her locker and being pretty satisfied with what she saw, she slammed the locker shut and hurried out to the parking lot where Trevor was sure to be anxiously waiting.

~~~

Max smiled to himself again, thinking about his encounter with Liz.  He had only talked with her briefly, and not about anything but Ryan, but still…he felt a connection to her.  It was as if she weren't really a stranger, but some long lost friend—finally found and not to be lost again.   

He glanced at his watch and wondered how long Ryan intended to stay in there.  At four years old, Ryan had maintained that he did not need any help and that his dad could wait for him by the door.  Impatiently tapping his foot, he again checked his watch.  Enough was enough… "Ryan," he said, pounding on the door, "what are you doing in there?  Come 'on already…" 

Just then he heard the sound of the toilet being flushed and he saw the doorknob turn.  The door opened, revealing his small son.  "Geez Daddy…I was coming out…" Ryan said exasperatedly.

"Sorry…I thought maybe you got lost in there or something." Max said jokingly.

"Dad…"

"Okay okay…I'm sorry…"

"Where are we going now?" Ryan asked, reaching to hold his father's hand as the headed towards the parking lot.

"Well…we still have time before we are supposed to meet Michael and Maria, so…what do you think of stopping for some special birthday ice-cream?"

"Oooh can we?  Really?  Chocolate ice-cream?  With rainbow sprinkles?"

"Anything you want…it's birthday ice-cream after all," Max said as they finally reached the Jeep.

"Yay!" Ryan said, pulling himself up into the backseat and buckling himself in.  

Max hopped into the driver's seat, started the engine, and pulled out of the parking lot, heading towards the nearest ice-cream shop.

~~~

"Miss Elizabeth, you know you are just inviting an argument by returning home dressed that way…  Especially when you know that your mother's women's club is going to be at the house.  You know how upset she becomes if she thinks you are reflecting poorly on her in front of her friends."

"Of course I do Trevor.  But the fact remains that I am nineteen years old now and I may dress however I please in my own home.  And I happen to want to be comfortable.  This," she said, indicating her old tee-shirt and shorts, "is comfortable…as opposed to what mother wants me to wear most of the time."  Liz grimaced, remembering some of the many fights over her wardrobe.

"Alright…consider yourself warned then."

"Will do Trevor.  Now can we get going.  I'm beat and I could really use a nice long nap."

"As you wish Miss Elizabeth…" Trevor said, holding the car door open for her.

"Thanks," she sighed as she plopped down in the backseat of the car.

Trevor rolled his eyes at his young charge as he closed her door and opened his own.  Making himself comfortable and checking his mirrors before pulling out, he saw that Liz was already staring out the window, daydreaming with a slight smile on her face.  Wondering who had finally been able to make the young girl at least a little happy, Trevor pulled out of the parking lot and headed for home.

They hadn't gone very far when they stopped at a red light and Liz caught sight of Max and Ryan in a run-down old Jeep leaving a roadside ice-cream stand.  

"Hey it's them!" Liz said, surprised to see the pair so soon.

"Who?"

"Max and Ryan…" Liz started to say.  

But she never got to finish her sentence as right at that moment…as Max was pulling the Jeep into the intersection…a dark green van came hurtling down the street, weaving from side to side, and slammed into the driver's side of the Jeep.  She watched it happen almost in slow motion…too stunned to move.  

**TBC…**


	6. unexpected

**~~~****Ch.**** 6~~~**

For a moment, neither of them moved, nothing seemed to move…  Suddenly Liz came out of her daze and bolted from the car.  Trevor quickly used his cell phone to call the paramedics and police as he quickly exited the car, chasing after Liz to make sure she didn't get injured in the process of trying to help.

 By the time Liz reached the Jeep, Ryan had begun screaming hysterically, too frightened to try and free himself from the vehicle.  She gasped when she saw Max's condition.  He was unconscious and bleeding severely…from where she couldn't exactly tell.  "Trevor!" she screamed.

"I'm right here…now quick…get the little boy and I will try to free the young man," he said much more calmly than he felt.

Liz nodded mutely and hurried around to the passenger side, climbing into the backseat.  "Ryan?  Ryan, do you remember me?"

The little boy momentarily stopped crying and nodded an affirmation.  Liz quickly unbuckled his seat belt and encouraged him to crawl into her arms.  Carefully she climbed back out of the Jeep still holding Ryan, who was now sobbing into her shirt, his arms wound tightly around her neck, desperate for someone to hold onto.

The police arrived followed closely by an ambulance.  Liz still felt as if she were in a daze.  The blaring sirens and flashing lights failed to faze her, as she slowly turned around, unsure what to do besides pulling Ryan just a little closer, trying to comfort herself as well as the little boy in her arms.

Two paramedics rushed over to Max's Jeep and two more to the van of the other driver, who apparently was also unconscious.  Trevor had almost succeeded in pulling Max from the mangled Jeep at this point, but upon seeing the paramedics, stepped back to let them lift him from the vehicle and onto a stretcher.  

Liz just stared as the carried him past her to the ambulance.  He looked so pale and lifeless…a drastic difference from the last time she had seen him.  "Daddy?" Ryan asked, finally noticing that his father was not moving and being taken away by strangers.

"Shhhh, it's okay.  Daddy's hurt and those men are going to take him in the ambulance to the hospital so they can fix him all up…understand?" Liz asked.

Another medic, spotting Liz standing there with Ryan, jogged over to the pair.  "Were you two in the Jeep too?" he asked, visibly looking them over for any obvious injuries.

"He was," she said, nodding her head at the little boy in her arms.

"Can I check him out…make sure there aren't any serious injuries?"

"Oh yeah…definitely," Liz said, moving to place Ryan back on the ground.

"NO!" he yelled, holding tighter to Liz, preventing her from putting him down.

"Ryan sweetie, Mr. ….?" 

"Dave, just call me Dave…" the medic replied.

"Dave just needs to make sure you aren't hurt too.  Can you just let him look really quick?" Liz pleaded.

"Just one second though…" he said seriously.

"Okay…just one second," she replied as she again tried to put him down.  

This time he let her, though he immediately reached for her hand for reassurance.  The medic quickly checked him over, not finding anything other than a few cuts and bruises.  "Looks like you got lucky son…" the medic said to Ryan before standing up and addressing Liz.  "They're going to be taking the driver to the hospital any moment now; they say he's in stable enough condition to travel now.  Are you any relation?  What I mean is...I'd rather not send the boy with the police if he can stay with you."

"Uh…yeah…I'm Max's fiancée.  Can we ride in the ambulance with him?  I think it would help Ryan if he could stay with his dad."

"I guess so.  We better hurry though.  They're about ready to go."

"Okay," Liz said, reaching down to pick up Ryan again.  "Trevor!" she yelled in his direction as she took off running towards the ambulance, following behind the medic.  "I'm going to ride in the ambulance with them.  Meet me at the hospital!"

Trevor nodded and went back to answering questions for the police, as he and Liz had pretty much been the only witnesses to the accident.

Arriving at the ambulance Liz was helped up into the vehicle by the medic who had checked out Ryan, before he quickly closed the doors behind them and the ambulance sped off towards the hospital.

One of the other medics was going through Max's pockets looking for identification.  He pulled out his wallet and cell phone and began to look through them.  "That's his fiancée," Dave said, pointing to Liz.

"Great," the other medic replied, "Do you know if he has any past medical conditions, allergies, is he on any medications?"

"Ummm…not that I'm aware of…" Liz answered vaguely.

"Okay good.  Here, why don't you hold onto these so they don't get lost," he said, handing her the wallet and cell phone.

Liz took the items from the medic and not having her purse as she had left it in the car, she just held them in front of her.  "Is he…is he going to be alright?" she asked quietly.

"It's too early to tell…but between you and me…it looks like he's got a lot to live for."

Suddenly the ambulance came a jolting stop as the finally reached the hospital.  The medics quickly wheeled Max into the emergency room with Liz and Ryan following close behind.  As they pushed him into a room, a nurse blocked Liz's entry.

"You'll have to wait out here Miss."

"But…"

"Just take a seat.  The doctors will do everything they can but they don't need you distracting them.  Someone will keep you updated on his condition, I promise," the nurse said, leading Liz towards the small dingy looking waiting room and directing her into a seat.

Liz nodded mutely, repositioning Ryan in her arms as she sat down and resting her chin on the top of his head.

"Liz?" Ryan asked softly.

"Yeah Ryan?"

"Is my daddy gonna be okay?"

"I sure hope so hun…I sure hope so…"

**TBC…**


	7. waiting

**~~~Ch 7~~~**

Liz wasn't sure how long she and Ryan sat there like that…holding onto each other for support.  Trevor had stayed for awhile, but she sent him home, telling him that she would call when she was ready to leave.  He had protested, but in the end, Liz won out.  They had yet to hear any news on Max's condition and the waiting was killing her.  

Suddenly, the phone in her hand started to ring.  She just sat there staring at it for a minute, not sure what to do, until Ryan shook her arm and said, "Liz…the phone's ringing…you gotta answer it."

She hit the talk button and brought the phone up to her ear.  "Max!  Max!  Where are you?  Did you forget about tonight?  I can't believe you would do this…" a young woman started ranting, not even waiting for a hello.  Liz pulled back from the phone, the girl's voice just a little too loud.

"Hello?" she tried, her voice wavering a bit.

The girl stopped her rant for a moment to ask, "Who is this?  Did I dial the wrong number?  I'm so sorry…I'm always doing things like this…"

"No, no you didn't dial the wrong number.  This is Max's phone…"

"Well who is this then?" the girl interrupted once more.

"Umm…my name is Liz and I don't know how to tell you this…but there was an accident."

"Oh my God!  Is he alright?  Where's Ryan?  Is he okay?  What hospital are they at?"

"Max is still in surgery.  Ryan is fine…he's right here.  We're at St. Helen's…"

"I'll be right there!  Don't move," the girl said, hanging up before Liz could reply.

Ryan tugged on her sleeve as she turned the phone off.  "Was dat Maria?" he asked.

"Uh…I'm not quite sure.  Who's Maria?" Liz asked, wondering if the mysterious girl might be Max's girlfriend or maybe his _wife.  _

"It sure sounded like Maria," he said seriously.  "She's daddy's friend 'cause she lives with Uncle Michael…and he's daddy's bestest friend."

"So Maria is your aunt?"

"Of course silly…"

"Evans?" a nurse said, popping her head into the waiting room.

"Over here," Liz said, standing up with Ryan still in her arms.

"Can you follow me for a moment?"

"Yeah sure."

"Is there anyone who can watch him for a minute?" she said, indicating Ryan.

"No…it's just me right now."

"Okay…well…just follow me," the nurse said, turning around and leading them down the long hallway and into a small room.  "Why don't you let him have a seat on that couch and come sit with me at the table?"

Liz did as she was instructed, making Ryan promise to behave himself and keep relatively quiet for a minute.

"So you are Mr. Evans' fiancée?  And he has no other relatives that you know of?" the nurse asked, looking off of her clipboard.

Liz glanced back at Ryan who was still listening to their conversation and he nodded a confirmation to the nurse's question.  "Yes, that's right."

"Then I guess you are the one who gets the whole update…  Max is in stable condition now.  They were able to stop the internal bleeding fairly easily.  He has several broken ribs, a broken arm, and some fractures in his left leg.  Not to mention some pretty nasty looking cuts and lacerations.  Overall, he really looks a lot worse than he is right now.  He got lucky…that's for sure," the nurse said, smiling a little.  "I just wanted to prepare you before I took you in to see him."

"Thanks I appreciate that…" Liz said, suddenly unsure if she should really be going to see someone she barely knew.  Just as suddenly, Ryan appeared at her side and took hold of her hand.  She realized that even if she barely knew Max, Ryan needed her…and she didn't plan on letting the little boy down.  "Can we go now?"

"Yes of course.  They moved him to a room upstairs.  Just follow me…I'd be happy to take you."

When they finally arrived at Max's room, the nurse stepped aside, allowing Liz to enter first.  Liz looked at her questioningly.

"Go ahead.  I'll give you some time with him alone."

Liz nodded mutely and entered the room.  She sucked in a breath when she saw Max lying on the hospital bed.  He was hooked up to machines and tubes and was covered in various types of bandages.  She hadn't thought he would really look like this.  Somehow she had still expected to see the vibrant young man she had met earlier that afternoon.  But this, this was not him…

"Daddy?" Ryan whispered, fear evident in his voice.  He squirmed to get down from Liz's arms.  "Daddy?" he said again, and then he looked to Liz, "Why isn't daddy answering me?  Is he sleeping?  Why does he look like a mummy?"

Liz could tell he was scared and about to burst into tears at any moment.  She should have known better than to bring him in before she had checked Max out herself.  She put her hand up to the little boy's cheek, turning his attention to only her.  "Ryan, your dad got hurt today, but the doctors are trying to make him better, that's why he's all bandaged up.  And you know how, when you get the flu, the best thing you can do is sleep, so that your body can concentrate on making itself better?  Well this is the same kind of thing.  His body is trying to make itself better, so that makes your daddy really sleepy.  Understand?"

Ryan nodded, although he still didn't look totally convinced.  Liz finally put him down and he immediately ran over to Max's bed and stood there staring at his father.  Liz followed, sitting down in the chair next to his bed.  Ryan eventually climbed back into Liz's lap and eventually dozed off.  Before she knew it, Liz had fallen asleep too, her head resting on the side of Max's bed.

**TBC…**


	8. truth and lies

**~~~Ch 8~~~**

"Maria can you slow down just a little?  You said this Liz girl is with Ryan…" Michael said, chasing after his long time girlfriend in the hospital parking lot.

"Michael, jeez, sometimes I don't know how you can be so dense.  Our best friend is in surgery because he was in a car crash and his son is in the car of some girl we barely know…" she said, not slowing her pace any for her lagging boyfriend.  She glanced over her shoulder to see him start to jog to catch up with her.  Turning back around, she opened the hospital doors and headed straight for the front desk.  The nurse at the desk was talking on the phone and typing  furiously, and had yet to acknowledge Maria's presence in the whole ten seconds that she had been standing there, and for Maria…that was ten seconds too long.  "Hey you!  Over here!" she said, waving her hands in front of the nurse's face.  

The nurse sighed and looked up from her computer screen.  "Yes?  Can I help you?" she said, a tone of annoyance in her voice.

"Yeah umm…I'm looking for Maxwell Evans.  What room's he in?"

The nurse rolled her eyes at Maria's abruptness and lack of patience and began typing again, peering at her computer screen.  "219…Are you family?"

"Yes I'm his sister in-law and this is his brother…" Maria said, gesturing towards Michael, "Michael Evans."

"Okay.  Take the elevator up to the second floor, make a right and it's at the end of the hallway," the nurse replied, already going back to her work.

"Thanks," Maria said, dragging Michael behind her toward the elevator.  Maria pushed the button for the second floor and stood there, tapping her foot impatiently.  Michael stood silently to her right and noticing her behavior, rolled his eyes and sighed.  "Michael Guerin…don't roll your eyes at me," she said, not bothering to turn her head to look at him.

"What?!  I didn't…I mean…How?!" he stammered.

"I know," she said as the elevator doors opened and she stepped out.  She turned to the right and looked around.  "Michael…did she say make a right or was it a left…or maybe it was a right then a left…?"

He looked to the left and saw a nurses' station where a young nurse was sorting through some papers.  He quickly walked over to her and cleared his throat to get her attention.  "Umm excuse me miss, I'm sure you're really busy but I'm looking for my…brother and I can't remember which way the nurse downstairs told me to go…"

"What's his name?" she asked softly.

"Max, Maxwell Evans."

"Oh yes.  The young man that was in the car accident, with a little boy right?"

"Yeah, they told us Ryan was okay…"

"He's fine.  Nothing but a few cuts and bruises.  It's his poor daddy that's gonna be hurting for a while.  Let me walk you down there."  She walked briskly down the hall, followed by Michael dragging a slightly confused Maria behind him, and stopped almost at the end of the hall in front of room 219.  She opened the door and poked her head in, then pulled the door shut and turned towards Michael and Maria.  "They're all sleeping…  I feel bad letting you wake them up—I'm sure they all need their rest after all this."

"Who do you mean exactly?" Maria asked still confused.

"Your brother, his little boy, and his fiancée…forgive me I can't remember her name…"

"Fiancée?  Fiancée?  When did he get engaged?  Michael did you know about this?" Maria said, barely keeping the volume of her voice under control.

"I swear I don't know anything Maria.  Why don't we just calm down and go see Max and we'll sort this all out later when my 'brother' and your closest friend is not lying in a hospital bed okay?"

"Fine," she said, obviously pouting.

"Thanks for your help.  We will try our best to make sure they get their rest," Michael said, giving the nurse a grateful smile.

"No problem.  And don't be too hard on him for not telling…she seems like a real special girl…I'm sure he was planning on telling you soon."

The nurse returned to her paperwork at the nurses' station and Michael quietly eased the door to Max's room open.  He sucked in a breath at the sight before him.  His best friend in the world was lying in a hospital bed, wrapped in bandages and hooked up to machines.  And he was so pale…almost as white as the hospital sheets he was lying on.  As Michael scanned the room his eyes came to rest on a petite brunette who was sleeping with her head resting on the side of the bed and her arms around Max's small son who was also asleep in her lap.  Michael knew that this girl was as much Max's fiancée as Michael was his brother…but she apparently cared enough to stick around with Ryan even though she was exhausted.  And Ryan must trust her if he fell asleep in her arms.  Michael had to give the kid some credit—he was a great judge of character.  And if he trusted this girl…then Michael would too.  Maria would be another story though…

"You know I didn't think about it before," Maria whispered, "you know…what he would look like.  I don't think I ever expected this though.  It just doesn't even look like him."

"I know," Michael replied just as quietly, not wanting to wake any of them.  He slowly made his way around to the opposite side of the hospital bed and just stared down at his friend.  Maria came to stand slightly behind him, wrapping her arms around him and rested her cheek against his shoulder.  

"So…do you think this is the girl that answered Max's phone when I called?"

"I would assume so."

"Do you think she's really his fiancée and he didn't tell us?"

"Not likely.  I think she just wanted to make sure Ryan was okay and made it up like you made up that story about he and I being brothers."

"Yeah but you two might as well be brothers for all you've gone through together.  I doubt he even knows her."

"Well obviously Ryan trusts her Maria…I mean you know how that kid is with strangers.  And honestly, with that and the fact that she sat here all night with him…I just think that really says something, you know?"

"When did you become so knowledgeable about all this sensitive stuff?" she said, squeezing him just a little harder.

"I don't know…when did you become so calm?"

Maria lightly punched him in the arm and turned to sit in an extra chair.  

"Owww…that hurt," he said, rubbing the spot and shaking his head.

"Oops, sorry…" she said sarcastically as she plopped herself down and yawned.  "So how long do you think it will be 'til these sleepyheads wake up?"

"I'd say not too long," Michael said, directing Maria's attention to Liz, who had begun to stir.  She sat up and looked around dazedly, not quite sure where she was.  As her eyes fell upon Max, she was jolted back to reality.  The accident…she was in the hospital…she had to take care of Ryan…  Liz looked down then, noticing that Ryan still slept soundly in her arms.  She breathed a sigh of relief that at least while he was sleeping, he wouldn't worry about his father.  She shifted uncomfortably, her body stiff from the position she had fallen asleep in and her arms aching from holding the little boy in her arms.

"Here let me take him for you," Michael said, walking towards her.  He lifted Ryan from her arms and the boy shifted and snuggled closer to his 'uncle.'  "I'm Michael," he said, whispering so as not to wake Ryan or Max.  "And this is Maria," he continued, nodding his head towards the chair where Maria still sat.  "We're Max's friends and unofficial family."

"It's nice to meet you," Liz said cautiously as Michael walked over to an extra to sit with Ryan.

Maria stood up and eyed the brunette warily.  "So I hear you're Max's fiancée…" she said sarcastically.

Liz looked flustered and stood up, smoothing her wrinkled clothes and walking towards the other girl.  "No I…" she stammered, shaking her head, "I…I didn't want to leave Ryan alone and I knew they wouldn't let him stay with me if I wasn't family…so I made it up.  I'm sorry…I hope you're not angry."

"Not at all," Michael said, looking pointedly at Maria.

Liz smiled and reached out to shake Maria's hand.  "I'm Liz, I believe we spoke, or should I say, you spoke on the phone earlier."

Maria laughed as she realized that she hadn't really let the other girl say much earlier…not an uncommon occurrence for her.  She accepted the other girl's extended hand and returned her smile.  "Yeah I do that a lot.  Sorry 'bout that by the way.  I was just worried…"

"I totally understand.  I'm sure I would be too."

"So…since you're not really Max's fiancée, how do you know him exactly?" Maria asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"We actually only met this afternoon.  Max and Ryan came to the soccer game and I'm on the team.  We talked a bit after the game and when I was leaving…the accident happened basically right in front of my car…I had to stop and help…I called 911 but…" Liz said, distress evident in her voice.

"Hey, chica, you helped a lot by calling the paramedics," Maria said, wrapping her arms around Liz.  "There wasn't anything else you could do for him.  Michael and I, Ryan, and I'm sure Max are all so grateful for what you did.  I'm sorry if you got the impression that I wasn't grateful for what you did or that I thought you didn't do enough.  I know I sometimes come off as a little harsh…but I don't mean any of it." 

Liz pulled back and wiped a stray tear from her cheek.  "Thanks.  I just…it's been a long day, you know?"

"Definitely.  If you want to head home and get some rest, Michael and I can look after Ryan, and take care of everything…"

"Actually, if you don't mind…I'd like to stay for awhile.  I just need to see that he's going to be alright.  And Ryan might be upset if I leave…since I've been the only one with him since the accident.  I could just take a little nap in the chair in the corner and when he wakes up, just wake me up too."

"If you're sure you want to then we don't mind.  Extra company is always appreciated.  Especially when all I have is Michael…he's not usually much for talking and all that," Maria said, a mischievous grin on her face.  Michael shot her a look that told her she would pay for that comment later.  She ignored him and turned back to Liz.  "Do you want me to go find a nurse and ask about like an extra pillow or something?"

"No.  I'm fine.  I don't want to bother them…they're probably busy.  I'll just curl up in the chair and I promise I will be very comfy."

"If you say so," Maria replied, shrugging her shoulders and returning to her original chair next to Michael.  

Liz smiled and plopped down into the corner chair on the opposite side of Max's bed.  She pulled her legs up, wrapping her arms around her knees, and resting her head against the edge of the bed.  Exhaustion quickly took over and soon she was once again fast asleep.

Maria sighed and pulled a small vial of cedar oil from her pocket.  She removed the cap and inhaled the scent, closing her eyes, and feeling the calming effect almost immediately.  She was an absolute believer in the power of aromatherapy and was constantly annoying Michael with her dependence upon her oils, but for her they worked and that was all she cared about.  She looked around the dimly lit hospital room and noticed that she was now the only one awake.  Liz was again sleeping in the chair with her head resting on Max's bed, Michael had drifted off holding the still sleeping Ryan, and of course Max was still out cold.  She shrugged her shoulders and remembered that old saying, 'if you can't beat them, join them.'  She made herself comfortable and finally drifted off with her head on Michael's shoulder.

**TBC…**


	9. an angel

**~~~Ch 9~~~**

His whole body ached, especially his head, which felt like someone had hammered nails into it.  His eyelids would barely open and when he did open them, the world spun...  What had happened?  Where was he?  Suddenly, it all came back to him…the accident…he remembered that van slamming into the Jeep and then…he must be in the hospital…  Where was Ryan?  He panicked and his eyes scanned the room wildly.  Unfortunately with his vision being a little blurry still, he couldn't see very far.  What he did see was a small petite brunette, resting her head on the side of the hospital bed.  The lamp behind her was casting a soft golden glow on her and for a moment, Max wondered if he had died in the accident and the girl was an angel who had come to take him away.

As if she could tell that he was staring at her, the girl's eyes fluttered then opened.  She stared into his eyes and smiled.  She seemed familiar but he couldn't quite place her…  She turned suddenly and said, "Michael, Maria, wake up!  He's awake!  He's awake!"

The pair was jolted out of sleep and upon hearing Liz, rushed over to his bedside, with Michael clutching the still sleeping Ryan to his chest.  Liz stepped back, feeling suddenly out of place and in the way.

"Omigod!  Max!  You scared us half to death!" Maria said, as she squeezed him in an abrupt hug.  "We're so glad you're okay!"

"Maria!  Back off…he just woke up and he probably feels like crap.  You don't need to suffocate him on top of it," Michael said, pulling her back with his free hand.  "Sorry 'bout that man…you know how she is."

Max smiled a half-smile, "Yeah I know…but really it's so good to see you guys.  For a minute there I wasn't sure I was still in the land of the living…I thought I saw an angel…" he said softly.

"Yep you were hallucinating…you are definitely alive.  You're a mess, but alive," Maria said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Thanks Maria…."

"Well you are," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"At least Ryan seems to have come through this whole incident unscathed…" Max said, nodding his head towards the little boy who was still fast asleep in Michael's arms.

"He's had a hard day…" Liz said, finally speaking up.  She stepped out of the shadows and smiled down at him before a worried look crossed her face.  "He was so worried about you…and I didn't know what to tell him…" she said, beginning to sound distressed again.

"Hey chica…" Maria said, pulling the other girl into a hug, "you did great hun.  You know, Max is awake now and Michael and I are here to watch Ryan...why don't you go get some sleep okay?  Really this time."

"But Ryan…what if he wakes up and I'm not here…"

"He'll be fine.  I'll tell him you had to go get some sleep.  He'll understand."

"If you're sure…"

"Positive."

"Okay…but I'm gonna come back later.  I don't want him thinking I abandoned him."

"Alright.  I'm sure we'll be here.  Max isn't going anywhere too soon."

"You know I am still here…" Max said abruptly, "in case you forgot.  And I can hear you.  It's my bones that appear to be injured, not my ears…"

"Sorry.  Forgot," Maria sighed in mock apology.

Max turned his attention to the other girl, who was currently wiping at her eyes and sniffling.  "It's Liz right?" he said, purposely ignoring Maria.  "You were at the soccer game…you found Ryan.  But how did you end up here?" 

"I…uh…" she stammered, not knowing where to start.  "The accident…I was at the same intersection…I saw it happen…"

"She's the one that called the ambulance," Maria said, piping in.  Michael shushed her and motioned for Liz to continue.

"And well, I didn't want Ryan to get stuck with some social services people or something if he didn't have to…so I kinda told the medics that I was your fiancée.  I'm really sorry.  It was the only thing that I could come up with on the spot like that…  Ryan just really didn't want me to leave him…and I didn't know what else to do."

Max just stared at her for a second, absolutely floored that an almost complete stranger would do something like that.  She must have been here for hours by now…and she had looked after Ryan until Maria and Michael had showed up.  Maybe she really was an angel…  And somehow, he didn't seem to mind that she had told the hospital that she was his fiancée…  It almost seemed…_right.  Max shook his head.  What was he thinking?  He just met this girl.  He barely knew her.  But still, he couldn't quite shake that feeling.  He decided he had better break the silence before she thought he had suffered a concussion.  "Thank you for what you did.  I might not be here now if it hadn't been for you.  And I'm glad Ryan was with someone who cared about him."_

"It was nothing…" she replied softly.  His gaze was so intense, she felt as if he were staring straight into her soul.  It was almost unnerving.  She broke eye contact and stared at her feet instead, instant feeling self-conscious and confused.  "I should really be going.  When Ryan wakes up…"

"I'll tell him myself.  Go…get some rest.  You deserve it," Max said, wondering what had caused her to look away so suddenly.

"Okay.  I will.  And you two better let him get some rest too," she said, looking pointedly at Maria.

"What are you looking at me for?" Maria said indignantly.

"No reason," Liz said, shrugging her shoulders and walking towards the door.  She opened the door and looked back over her shoulder saying, "Bye guys."

"Bye," they all said simultaneously.

As the door closed behind her, Liz reached into her small bag that she had carried with her and pulled out her cell phone.  She quickly dialed the main line at home, hoping that Trevor would answer and not her mother.  "Hello?  Oh Trevor, thank goodness it's you.  Yeah it looks like he's going to be fine.  Can you come get me now?  Okay, see you soon," she said, flipping the phone closed and walked towards the elevator.  She pushed the button for the ground floor, leaned against the wall of the elevator and sighed to herself, "What a day…"

**TBC…**


	10. unexpected friends

**~~~Ch 10~~~**

"So…" Maria said, turning her attention back to Max.

"So what?" he asked, curious as to what his friend was already plotting.

"It seems to me that there is something more going on between you and our new friend Liz than either of you are letting on…"

"Maria, seriously we just met today.  I swear there isn't anything going on."

"Yet," she said with a somewhat devious smile on her face.  "But you would like there to be wouldn't you?"

"Well…"

"Ah ha.  I knew it," she said excitedly.

"I barely know her Maria…"

"Maxwell, in the many years I have known you, I have never seen you look at any girl the way you were staring at Liz."

"I was staring?"

"Yep and you had this look of absolute intensity in your eyes like you had forgotten that the rest of us even existed."

"No way…" he denied, shaking his head.

"Sorry man, I saw it too.  Absolutely disgusting," Michael said, a note of teasing in his voice.  Maria elbowed him in the ribs.  "Ow…'Ria!  Come 'on I was just joking."

Just then, Ryan started squirming in Michael's arms.  He lifted his head and looked around.  "Liz?" he queried, still scanning the room for the person who had been his only companion since the accident.

"Hey buddy…it's okay.  We're here," Michael said, nodding towards Maria.  "Liz had to go home and get some rest.  But guess what?  Your dad's awake."

"Daddy?" he said, turning and noticing Max sitting up in bed.

"Hey there…" Max said casually.

Ryan quickly began struggling to get down and climbed up onto the hospital bed.  He lay down next to his father and wrapped his small arms around Max.  "I'm glad you're 'wake now daddy.  I was scared when you were sleeping.  But Liz said it was okay and that the doctors were making you all better and you would wake up and then you did."

"Well I'm glad she was there to take care of you for me."

"Me too daddy.  I like her a lot.  Is she going to come back?" Ryan asked, picking his head up to look at Max.

"Of course buddy, she said she was just going to go home and take a little nap and that she would visit again later to make sure everything was okay," he said reassuringly.  He leaned closer and whispered in Ryan's ear.  "And just between you and me…I like her a lot too."

Ryan sat up on the bed and smiled at his dad, excited not only to have a secret, but to have such a good one too.

Maria noticed the exchange and put her hands on her hips.  "Are you two keeping secrets from me?  You know I'll get it out of you eventually Ryan…" she said as she reached out and began tickling him.  Max smiled, glad for the break from all the seriousness for a moment.  He leaned back and stared out the window…his thoughts effortlessly drifting to a certain brunette 'angel.'

~~~

Liz stood in the ambulance bay, nervously tapping her fingers on her purse.  She checked her watch again, wondering what could be taking Trevor so long.  A moment later, headlights approached and the familiar car stopped in front of her.  She opened the rear door and stepped inside.

"Ready?" Trevor asked, turning around to face her.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she sighed.  "Mother's not very happy about all this is she?"

"Well you know you're mother.  She's just…worried."

"Yeah worried about me doing something else to tarnish her reputation at the country club…" Liz mumbled.

Trevor pretended not to hear the last comment and proceeded to pull out of the hospital parking lot.  It was a short drive to the Parker residence, which was good considering Liz looked as if she might pass out from exhaustion in the backseat.  The time passed uneventfully this time, and soon enough they turned into the long driveway that led to the house.  Most of Liz's friends from the team were always very impressed with her home, saying it was beautiful and looked like a mansion.  But to Liz it always seemed more like a prison.  One she likely wouldn't ever escape.

"We're here Miss Elizabeth," Trevor said, not sure if she was indeed asleep or had just closed her eyes for a moment.

"I know I know," she said, opening the car door and walking slowly to the side door that most of the family used to get into the house—the front door was for guests, her mother always reminded her.  She entered the house and was walking past the room her mother usually used for entertaining when she heard her name called.

"Elizabeth?  Is that you darling?"

Liz stopped and turned to see her mother sitting on a large armchair and drinking a cup of tea.  She noticed another woman, around her mother's age, and a young blonde girl, most likely the same age as herself, sitting on the couch next to her mother.  The blonde looked as if she were incredibly bored but trying to look very proper for her mother's friend.  She did, however, look surprised and a little put off by Liz's appearance.

"Yes mother it's me."

"Darling I'd like you to meet my friend Diane and her daughter Isabel.  Diane and I attended boarding school together and she was my roommates for several years.  She and her husband, Phillip, and Isabel recently moved into the area and stopped by to catch up on old times.  Why don't you take Isabel up to your room with you so she needn't be so bored by our reminiscing?"

"Mother, I'm really very tired and I was just going to go lie down for a while…" Liz began, but stopped after the look she received from her mother, "…but of course I wouldn't mind some company.  Isabel would you care to join me upstairs?"

Isabel received a similar no-nonsense look from her mother and smiled at the petite brunette standing in the doorway.  "Of course.  Lead the way…" she said, standing up and walking towards where Liz was standing.

As they walked up the large staircase, Liz struggled to keep her eyes open and make it the rest of the way to her room.  When they finally reached Liz's room, she turned to the other girl and motioned for her to sit down on the small couch she usually crashed on to watch TV.  Isabel sat down and looked up at her curiously.

"Look Isabel, I've had a really long and exhausting day or two and I would like nothing more than to crash on my bed and loose consciousness.  However, my mother wants me to entertain you…  Now you seem like a nice girl and I would be more than willing to let you hang out here on my couch and watch TV instead of listening to our mothers go on and on about 'the good ole days' if as long as you don't rat me out to her."

Isabel smiled genuinely now, and laughed a little.  "You know, when you first walked in, I couldn't believe you were possibly Nancy Parker's daughter.  No offense… but you look like crap, and as I understand our mothers are a lot alike—including their high standards for their daughters.  But now I'm kinda glad you aren't what I was expecting."

Liz looked surprised and allowed herself to laugh at how similar the two of them must be.  "Well for the record I'm glad you aren't what I was expecting either.  Now if you don't mind I am going to pass out now…"

Isabel laughed and turned on the TV, making sure to keep the volume low.  "Be my guest.  I'm sure I can find something to watch on cable.  And I'll be sure to alert you if they come looking for us…" she said, noticing after a moment or two that she received no response from the other girl.  She turned around and saw that indeed Liz was already fast asleep on her bed.  Shrugging her shoulders, she went back to the task of flipping through the channels.

TBC…


	11. ditched

**~~~Ch 11~~~**

Liz blinked a few times, fighting her way out from under the haze of exhaustion that she had succumbed to.  She had needed the rest.  She had been physically drained from the game yesterday and losing sleep, but the emotional exhaustion had made it all worse.  She had spent the last twenty four hours constantly worrying if Max would be okay...if Ryan would be okay....

As the room came into focus, she noticed the blonde on the couch had turned and smiled at her.  "Hey there sleepyhead," Isabel said as if they had known each other for years instead of a few hours—during most of which, Liz had been sleeping.

"Hey," Liz replied sleepily, rubbing her eyes and yawning.  "How long was I sleeping for?"

"Not as long as I thought you would.  Just a few hours really.  We got ditched by the way," she said, turning back towards the TV and the show she had been watching.

"Ditched?"

"Yeah...the moms went out to dinner.  Trevor came up a while ago to tell you, but I assured him I'd let you know when you woke up.  He said there's food downstairs if we want it...but I think we should go out ourselves..." Isabel said, a mischievous tone in her voice.

"What did you have in mind?" Liz asked cautiously.

Isabel turned back around, squealing and clapping her hands.  "My boyfriend Alex's band is playing tonight at this club and I didn't really want to go sit by myself like I always do...so I thought that we could go grab some food and hang out with some normal people our own age..."

"Actually that sounds great.  I'd love to go."

"Oooh this is going to be soooo much fun.  I promise."

Liz laughed, still surprised to have found a new friend by way of her _mother_.  It was still a bit surreal, but she couldn't deny that it was nice to have another girl to hang out with.  However, the little voice in the back of her mind reminded her that she had promised to go back to the hospital after her nap.  Ryan would surely be awake by now and probably wondering where she was.  And then there was Max...

"Do you think we could make a quick stop somewhere?" Liz asked cautiously.

"No not at all.  Where do you need to go?"

"Well...I kinda need to stop at St. Helens Hospital..."

"The hospital?  Why would you want to go there?" Isabel asked, scrunching her face up in confusion.

"A friend of mine was in an accident yesterday and I promised him and his son that I would visit again after I got some rest.  That's where I was all night—with them."

"Oh wow...I had no idea.  Especially with the way your mom was acting—are they okay?" 

"Don't even get me started on my mom," she said laughing sarcastically, "but yeah, they're fine.  Max is pretty banged up and I think the nurse said he broke his arm has a few broken ribs and something about fractures in his leg...  I'm not sure what it all means really.  But Ryan, that's Max's little boy, is fine.  He barely looks like he was in the same car as Max."

"Well if we're going to make that stop at the hospital, we should get going now...or else we'll miss the opening set.  I can't wait to introduce you to Alex!  I can just tell you two are going to get along!" Isabel said, trying to change the subject and lighten the mood a little.

Liz laughed, thankful for Isabel's efforts.  "Let me just change my clothes and then we can go..."

Fifteen minutes later, the pair was sitting in Isabel's red SUV, driving towards the hospital.  "You're so lucky that your parents actually let you drive...mine won't even let me near the car," Liz said wistfully.

"Are you kidding?  Well I'll definitely have to have my mom talk to your mom.  That's so not cool.  In fact, I'll teach you myself....I passed Driver's Ed. with flying colors."

"Oh wow.  Have I told you how much I love you?" Liz laughed.

~~~

Max looked at the clock on the wall for what seemed like the thousandth time.  Michael had taken Ryan home about two hours ago and Maria had went to the cafeteria to get some coffee, which left him sitting in the hospital room alone.  Boredom had set in long ago and he couldn't help but be anxious for the return of a certain brunette.  There were these nagging little thoughts in the back of his mind that kept saying 'She might not come back....What girl would want to get involved with a guy who had a kid?  ...Especially a girl like Liz...'

Just then a timid knock on the door brought him out of his daze.  "Come in," he said quietly.  The door opened slowly and a dark head appeared.  Liz stepped shyly into the room followed by a tall blonde.  "Hey Liz.  It's good to see you again.  I was getting pretty bored here all by myself."

"Where is every one?" she asked as she walked over to his bed.

"Well Maria is in the cafeteria getting some coffee and Michael took Ryan home so he could get some rest.  Speaking of which...did you manage to get some sleep?"

"Yeah.  I did actually.  How are you feeling?  Did they give you anything for the pain?"

"Still feel like crap but yeah at least they have me drugged up so I can't really feel much right now," Max replied, forcing a small smile.

Liz smiled back and for a moment they just stared at each other.  Isabel cleared her throat, hoping to remind her new friend of her presence.  "Oooh sorry.  This is my friend Isabel," she said gesturing towards the blonde girl, "And Izzy, I'd like you to meet Max."

"Nice to meet you," Isabel said, reaching out to shake Max's hand.

"Nice to meet you too," Max said politely.

"Isabel invited me to go see her boyfriend's band with her at some club so we can't really stay long.  I just wanted to see how you were..." 

Suddenly the hospital room door opened and Maria bounded through holding coffee in one hand and some sort of pink frozen beverage in the other.  "Max you won't believe what I brought you...Oh hi Liz.  Who's you're friend."

"Hey Maria.  This is my friend Isabel."

"Hey there Iz.  Anyway...as I was saying before...they had these strawberry smoothies downstairs so I brought you one.  You better not rat me out to the nurses though...or else no more treats for you," she rambled, handing the plastic cup to Max.  "So Liz...get any sleep?"

"Yeah actually I did.  Thanks for making me go.  I really needed that."

"No problem.  Ask the guys...I'm good at bossing people around.  So are you staying long?"  
  


"Actually Izzy invited me to come with her to see her boyfriend Alex's band..."

"Liz if you wanna stay you won't offend me.  I can come pick you up after the concert if you'd like," Isabel interrupted.

"No you should go have some fun.  At least one of us should.  You can tell me all about it later so I can live vicariously through you," Max said, not wanting Liz to miss out on fun to stay with him.

"Are you sure?" she asked.  "I know I promised that I would come back and visit and now I'm running out on you..."

"I'm positive.  I'll just take a raincheck on the visit—an extension 'til later.  And besides if you come back later, not only can you tell me all about it, but by then Ryan should be back.  He was looking for you earlier and I'm sure he'd be glad to see you again."

"Okay...if you sure," Liz said, still uncertain.

"Hey Liz, I know how you could make it up to him..." Maria chimed in.

Max suddenly blushed, dreading whatever insinuation Maria was about to make.  He was thankful that Liz didn't seem to notice his reaction.  

Maria winked at him and continued.  "Well since Max here is going to be on crutches and Michael and I can only take Ryan a few days during the week due to our work schedules...I'm sure he would really appreciate some help with the little rugrat.  And I'm sure it would be nice to have some company while he's all cooped up in his apartment all day," she finished, looking expectantly at Liz.

"Ummm sure I guess.  I only have practice twice this week so just let me know when you need me."

"Great!" Maria exclaimed, clapping her hands and grinning.  

"You know Maria," Max interrupted, "you should go with them.  I need to get some sleep anyway and I'm sure Michael will be back soon."

"If you say so Max.  You know me...I'm not one to turn down a good time."

"We better get going..." Isabel said, nudging Liz with her elbow.

"I know I know...you wanna see Alex.  I get it," Liz said, rolling her eyes in mock sarcasm.

"You'll understand once you meet him," she gushed.

Maria made a gagging expression which caused everyone in the room to start laughing...Isabel included.

"Seriously though girls, we're gonna miss the first set..." Isabel warned for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"Bye Max," Maria called linking arms with the other two girls and dragging them towards the door.

"Have fun," he called, smiling at their antics.  "See you later Liz..."

"Count on it..." Liz said laughing as Maria refused to let her stop for even a second.

And with an echo of laughter the door closed and Max was once again left alone with his thoughts.

**TBC...**


	12. crazy on mars

**~~Chapter12~~**

Soon the three girls were back in Isabel's SUV, with Liz in the passenger seat and Maria in the back, and headed towards Abducted, a small bar/club on the outskirts of Roswell.

"Hey what's the name of this band anyway?  Would I know them?" Maria asked, suddenly curious.

"Well they're called Crazy on Mars, but when they started out they were called The Whits.  I convinced Alex that they need something cooler and since he grew up in Roswell... You know--Mars...aliens...  I know its kinda corny but hey—that's Alex for you," Isabel said, laughing a little.

"Omigod you aren't talking about Alex Whitman are you?" Maria shrieked.

"Yeah..." Isabel answered uncertainly.

"Omigod!  Alex went to elementary school with Max, Michael, and I.  But his dad got remarried when we were in middle school and they moved away."

"That's so weird," Isabel replied, still in shock that her new friends actually knew her boyfriend.  "Alex and I actually met about a year and a half ago when we both started our freshmen year at Las Cruces.  We sat next to each other in English class and you know Alex...no girl could resist that kind of charm."

After a moment of trying to look serious both Maria and Isabel burst out into laughter.

"How did you get your parents to let you go to college?" Liz asked cautiously.

"Well my mom was kinda against it, but my dad's a big push-over and will basically let me do whatever I want.  So now I'm majoring in Elementary Education and loving every minute of it."

"Wow Iz.  I've been trying to get my parents to let me go for like 2 years.  All my teachers at Sky Academy were ready to write me recommendations to Harvard or Yale or Berkley and I couldn't even get my parents to let me go to Las Cruces." 

"Wow.  Were your grades that good?  What did you want to major in?" Isabel said, obviously impressed.

"I graduated at the top of my class actually—valedictorian.  I wanted to major in molecular biology...it was my favorite subject."

"And your parents wouldn't let you go?" Maria said confusedly.  "My mom was just glad I graduated high school and moved out.  She wouldn't have cared if I went off to college, but I wanted to stay here with Michael and besides...I never liked school much anyway.  You know Liz, you should just stand up to your parents and tell them that you are going to college and that's that.  I mean you get paid for all that stuff you do for the soccer team right?  You could totally support yourself if they wouldn't."

"She's right you know," Isabel said, taking the opportunity to rejoin the conversation.  "You can't let your mother marry you off to some loser with an inheritance from the country club."

"Do you think you could get me the course information before the next semester?" Liz asked excitedly.

"Of course."

"But you can't let this leak to my mother—not 'til I've already registered so she can't stop me."

"My lips are sealed," Isabel said, smiling and making a motion with her hands of locking her mouth and throwing away the key.  "Hey we're here."

Liz looked out the window, taking notice of their surroundings.  Abducted looked nothing like she thought it would.  Not that she really knew what to expect...her mother had never let her go near a bar and Liz was sure if her mother knew where she was tonight—she would flip.  But tonight wasn't about her mom.  Tonight was about having some fun...she had promised Max after all.

The bar was kind of dark and smoky but the people were surprisingly nice.  Liz had expected scary bikers, but the crowd was mostly college students and a few older men sitting at the bar.  Alex's band was great...she had never been able to go to an actual concert and the hearing live music was so much better than any of her CDs.  In between sets, Alex came down to see Iz and was introduced to Liz and reunited with Maria.  

Liz breathed a happy contented sigh.  These people were so normal.  They weren't pretending to like her because her parents were rich or because she was some soccer star.  They seemed to like her just for herself.  It was great.  She had always longed for this kind of easy natural friendship.

The time seemed to fly.  Pretty soon the band was packing up their instruments and Alex was back at their side asking for a ride home.

"Alex Charles Whitman where is your car?  I may be your girlfriend but I am not your taxi service," Izzy replied indignantly.

"Well Erik gave me a ride here and I didn't know it would be such a problem for you to take me home...I mean it's like two minutes from your apartment..."

"Fine," she sighed exaggeratedly.  "Maria, am I taking you back to the hospital or to your apartment?  'Cause I don't actually know where you live..."

"Hospital?  Why would you go to the hospital?" Alex questioned.

"Oh geez I can't believe I didn't tell you before Alex...Max is in the hospital.  He was in an accident.  Michael and I have been taking turns staying with him...and Liz has been helping too," Maria rambled.

"An accident?  What happened?" he asked again, still in shock over learning his long lost friend had been hurt.

"A drunk driver hit him...I kinda saw it happen," Liz replied quietly.

"Wow.  Is he alright?"

"They seem to think he will be," Liz answered.

"Iz why don't you drop me and Maria off at the hospital and you and Liz can head back home.  I'm sure Max wouldn't mind catching up with his old bud since he can't escape and all.  I'll be sure to tell him all my new jokes," Alex asked, laughing as he finished.

"Alex how many times do I have to tell you that finding a joke on a bubble gum wrapper does not count as new material?" Isabel laughed.

Alex stuck his tongue out at her and looped his arms through Liz's and Maria's arms, steering them out of the bar and to the SUV.  "I'll just have to tell my jokes to some people who appreciate them then," he said to Isabel over his shoulder.

"Hate to break it to you Alex but I think I'm gonna have to agree with Izzy over there," Maria said, laughing too.

"Humpf," he said, letting go of Maria.  "At least I still have Lizzy right?"

"Of course Alex," she answered, throwing her arm across his back and squeezing slightly.

"I knew I could count on you.  You look like a girl with good taste."

"Only the best."

"Oh just get in the car already," Isabel whined.  "Liz and I have to get back before our parents sober up from their wine tasting and realize we aren't there."

"Yeah trust me you don't wanna see my mom angry and hung-over...it's not pretty," Liz joked.

"Alright...everyone in.  The taxi's leaving.  First stop St. Helen's hospital—site of Alex's stand up comedy act then onward to the lifestyles of the rich and hung-over..." Isabel called as she hopped into the driver's seat and pulled the door closed.

**TBC...**


	13. six degrees

**~~Chapter13~~**

Max glanced up at the clock hanging above the door.  It was getting late and there was still no sign of Liz.  He wasn't sure how he had become so attached to the petite brunette in such a short amount of time.  Was he falling for her?  Was that even possible?  Max had never been in love before so he wasn't sure what it felt like...but if you had to judge by what always happened in movies...then he was definitely in trouble.  His thoughts constantly drifted to the color of her hair, or the way she had looked while she slept, or how she bit her lip and played with her hair when she was nervous...

His musings were abruptly interrupted by his hospital room door being flung open and two individuals crashing through, laughing hysterically to themselves.  Max looked up, startled for a moment.  He immediately recognized Maria after he came out of his daze but it took him a little longer to realize who the other person was.  He shook his head in disbelief.  "Alex?  Alex Whitman?"  he asked incredulously.

"In the flesh," he replied, grinning widely.

"How...on earth...?"

"Well if you must know I was transported here by aliens," Alex said, barely able to keep a straight face.

Max laughed, remembering how much fun his friend had been back in school.  "I should have figured that.  But really...Maria...how did you manage to find our long lost Alex here?"

"Well it turns out that your new friend Liz made a new friend, Isabel, who took us to see her boyfriend, who just happens to be Alex here, and when he heard that you were laid up in a hospital bed, well...not even the plague could have kept him away.  Whew...that was kinda like six degrees of Maxwell Evans wasn't it?"  Maria replied, almost completely in one breath.

Alex cracked a crooked smile.  "Wow 'Ria.  That was impressive.  I almost forgot you could do that."

"How could you ever forget Hurricane Deluca's specialty for speed talking?" Max said, joining in on the teasing.

"Hey!" she said indignantly, swatting his arm playfully.  "You know this is really great though...all of us back together again...well except for Michael.  But he'll be here later Alex, don't worry."

"Oh goody I so missed someone beating up on me..." Alex said sarcastically, ducking as Maria turned to smack him.

"Come off it already Alex.  That was one time in fifth grade and it was gym class for goodness sake."

Alex crossed his arms and pouted.  "Yeah well he didn't have to knock me down in front of all the popular girls...and into the bleachers no less."

"Ugh...I give up...you'll never let it go..."  Maria threw up her hands in agitation and plopped down on the chair behind her.  

"So...'Ria...did you and the girls have a good time tonight?" Max questioned cautiously.  

"Like you even care if Izzy or I had a good time.  All your concerned about is if a certain little brunette soccer player hooked up with any guys at the club..."  Maria shot back, easily seeing through his line of questioning.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied, just a little too quickly.

Alex perked up, suddenly interested in the gossip.  "Ooh...Maria...does our little Maxie-boy here have a crush on someone?"

"How old are you?" Max retorted crankily.  

"Twenty-two."

"Could've fooled me... I would have guessed you were more like two."

Alex stuck his tongue out at Max in reply and all three of them burst into a fit of laughter.  

Outside his room, an older nurse who was walking by was started by the sudden outburst of noise and dropped her papers all over the floor.  She shook her head and sighed as she gathered them back up and continued down the hallway.  "Young people..." she huffed to herself.

~~~

Isabel slowly pulled into the driveway of the Parker residence, cutting the lights so as to make their return less noticeable.  The two girls quietly exited the car and walked towards the back door, usually reserved for staff entrance.  Once inside, Liz stopped suddenly and whispered "They're probably still in the living room recovering from the wine...if we're quiet we can sneak up the back stairs and they'll never know we were gone."  

Just as Liz placed her foot on the first step, the stair let out a loud creaking noise.  They both froze, hoping that they hadn't just given themselves away.  

"Elizabeth?  Is that you?" her mother called from the other room.  

Liz sighed heavily.  "So much for that idea... guess we have to go face the music."  

Isabel followed Liz as she led the way to the living room where both of their parents were indeed sitting, looking slightly intoxicated.

"Yes mother, it's me."

"Where were you two?  We were worried."

"Well, Trevor said that you all had gone out for dinner so Isabel and I did the same."

"Where did you go?  You smell like an ashtray..."

"They had a smoking section in the restaurant and we were seated too close to it I suppose," Liz replied, hoping the vague explanation would satisfy her mother.

"You could have gone somewhere classier Elizabeth.  I can't believe you dragged poor Isabel to one of those low class places you like to go to with those soccer friends of yours.  Honestly, not everyone wants to eat that greasy food...  I thought I had raised you with more sense than that."

"Actually it was my idea Mrs. Parker..." Isabel interjected.

"Isabel dear you don't have to try and cover for her.  I know my daughter.  I'm sorry she dragged you into that."

"No really..." she tried again.

"Never mind Iz, it's not worth fighting over.  Mother, Isabel and I will be upstairs.  You can send Trevor up when her parents are ready to leave.  Mr. and Mrs. Ethan, it was nice to meet you again," Liz interrupted.  Without waiting for a reply she turned and walked up the stairs.  

**TBC....**


End file.
